Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) packets (or cells) are 53 bytes long. By providing a fixed length cell, the ATM protocol reduces latency. This makes ATM desirable for latency sensitive applications, such as voice.
Modern broadband satellite communications systems generally have longer packet sizes than ATM. One reason broadband satellite communications systems have longer packet sizes is for signal acquisition purposes. Because signal acquisition in a satellite communications system takes a finite amount of time, optimum packet sizes are generally larger than 53 bytes.
It is desirable for satellite communications systems to be able to carry ATM traffic which emanates from a source external to the satellite communications system because of the potential revenue generated from the sale of bandwidth. Because satellite communications systems generally have larger packet sizes than ATM, bandwidth can be lost if a single ATM cell is assigned to a single, longer, satellite communications system packet.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for efficiently encapsulating ATM packets in a broadband network having packet sizes greater than 53 bytes.